Grave-vault.



PATBNTED OCT. 17, 1905.

. J. FAIVRE.

GRAVE VAUIT.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 1e, 1905.

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/f//l (//I/ PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905.

M. J. FAIVRE.

GRAVE VAULT.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 16, 1905.

mrwew s Gmmw ce. ofc-umanawnsas wAswNmou. D cA MATHEW J. FAIVRE, OF HAMILTON, IOWA.

GRAVE-VAULT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed January 16, 1905. Serial No. 241,228.

To cir/ZZ whom/ t may concern:

Be it known that I, MATHEW J. FAIVRE, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Hamilton, in the county of Marion and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Grave- Vault, of which the following is a specification. y

The objects of my invention are to provide a vault which is designed to be placed in a grave and in which a coffin is to be lowered and incased.

A further object is to provide a vault which is made of such material that when the vault is sealed up it will be practically air-tight and the deterioration of the body incased in it, as well as the cofHn, will be almost entirely prevented.

A further object is to provide a device of this class which is constructed in parts which can be easily handled and easily attached together to make the completed vault while it is in the grave.

My invention consists in certain details in the construction, arrangement, and combination ot' the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows in perspective a portion of the body of the vault with the mechanism for securing the sides and end portions of it to the bottom. Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view of the bottom of the vault when folded in position for transportation. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of one of the sections of the sides of the vault detached from it. Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional View of the bottom and sides of the vault cut on the line 4 4 of Fig. 6, showing an end view of one of the portions of the cover. Fig. 5 is a detail view of the bottom and sides of the vault, looking at the top of it, cut on theline 5 5 of Fig. 4, (this shows in section one of the sides and a portion of the top of the other side;) and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional View of the complete vault.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference-numeral 10 to indicate one end of the bottom, having the other end 11 hinged to it in such a way that when the ends 10 and 11 are folded the under surface of them will engage each other and when extend ed they will be in a substantially straight line, as shown in Figs. 1 and 6 of the drawings. Driven into the ends 10 and 11 of the bottom areanumber of staples 12, and cement surfaces 13 and 14 are secured to the upper portions of the ends 10 and 11 of the bottom, and this cement is held to the bottom by means of the staples 12 referred to. The adjacent ends of the cement portions 13 and 14 are cut away at 15 and 16 to form asubstantially V-shaped opening between them when the bottom is extended or unfolded and a soft cement is placed in this opening to form a tight jointbetween them. Extending through the bottom and the cement portions which are attached to it are a series of openings 17, through which rods are to be passed, as hereinafter described.

At each end and designed to extend upwardly from the cement on the bottom portions when the bottom is unfolded are the end portions 18 and 19, each of which has a channel 2() extending throughout the entire length of its top portion, and achannel 21 extending throughout the entire length of its bottom portion. Extending through the end portions 18 and 19 are a series of openings 22, which communicate with the openings in the bottom immediately beneath the end portions. Between the adjacent ends of the end portions and on each side of the bottom are a number of connecting-blocks 23, each of which has a groove in its top portion extending throughout its entire length similar to the channel 20, and a groove in its bottom portion extending throughout its entire length similar to the channel 21. Extending through each of these blocks and communicating directly with the openings which are directly beneath them in the bottom are a number of openings 24. Each side of the blocks is so shaped as to be capable of receiving cement between the adjacent sides of one block and the one nearest it, so as to rigidly hold these blocks together and make a rigid joint between them. Extending around the entire top portion of the body of the vault which is composed of the bottom, the sides, and the ends, and in the channel 20 is a rectangular frame which is composed of the two rods 25 and 26. Passing between these rods and through the openings 22 and 23 and the openings 17 in the bottom is a series of screw-threaded rods 27, the heads 28 of which rest against the upper portion of the rods 25 and 26 in the rectangular frame and which have nuts 29 screwed to their lower portions to hold the frame in position in the channel and also to hold the parts of the body of the vault together when in position for use. A cement 30 is placed in the IOO IIO

channel 21 at the bottom of the ends and sides before these are placed on the bottom, so as to form a tight joint between the end and sides and the bottom, and a cement substance 31 is placed in the channel 2O in the end and ysides to securely hold the rectangular frame in position therein and to seal the top, to be hereinai'ter described, to the sides .and end.

The top of the vaultcomprises two end portions 32 and 33, which are curved downwardly at 34 and 35, respectively, so that their lower portions can restdirectly upon the upper portions oi' the ends and a portion of the side blocks 23-that is, the lower portions Vof the ends of the cover extend over the upper portions of the ends of the body portion and overlap the blocks 23, so as to prevent water and other foreign substances from getting into the crevice between the ends of the. body and the blocks 23, which are nearest them. There are one or more curved blocks 36 between the ends 32 and 33, and the ends o1 this block are adjacent to the ends of the end blocks 32 and 33 of the cover. At each end of the block 36 a portion 37 is cut away, and in the inner ends of the end portions 32 and 33 there is a portion 38 cut away to form a `channel between the upper portions of the block 36 and the ends of the cover in which a wire 39 is placed which extends below the lower portion of the block 36 and has a hook 4.0 at eachiend of it, which hook engages the under side of the wire 26 of the frame which holds the body of the vault in position relative to the bottom, and after the cement 31 is placed in the channel 20 the hooks will not only be held firmly in position relative to the frame, but the cover will be sealed to the body portion of the vault after the wires39 are placed in the opening between the ends oi' the cover and the block 36. Cement is then filled in on top of the wire and the entire vault is sealed up.

In practical use and assuming that the vault is to be transported from one place to another the parts oi' it are separated from each other, and the bottom is folded into the position shown in Fig. 2. When it is desired to place the vault in the grave, the bottom is unfolded in the position shown in Figs. l and 6, and the end portions 18 and 19 of the body 5G are set into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 6, and the blocks 23, forming the sides, are placed in the position shown between the ends 18 and 19, after having irst placed cement in the channel 21 to seal the ends and sides to vthe bottom and after having placed cement in the V-shaped groove between the cement portions 13 and 14 on the bottom. Then the frame comprising' the rods 25 and 26 are placed in position, and the screw-threaded rods 27 are placed in the openings designed to receive them and screwed into the nuts 29. The crevices between the sides and end portions and the channel 2O are filled with soft cement, and the vault is in condition for receiving the casket or cofiin, which is lowered into it. When the cofiin has been placed in the vault, the cover is placed upon it in the manner above indicated.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States therefor, is-

1. Ina vault, a two-part bottom, hinges i'or connecting the parts of the bottom, ends and side portions, each having' a groove extending throughout the entire length of their lower edges, and a channel extending throughout their upper edges, a frame in the channel, in the upper edges of' the sides and ends, means for securing the frame to the bottom portion and the ends, sides and bottom in position relative to each other, and a cover.

2. In a vault, a two-part bottom, hinges connecting` the parts of the bottom with each other, sides, end portions, a frame in the sides and end portions, rods for securing the frame, the sides and end portions in position relative to `each other and to the bottom.

3. In a vault, a two-part bottom, hinges connecting the parts of thev bottom with each other, sides, end portions, a frame in the sides and end portions, rods extending through the frame and the bottom, and nuts Jfor securing the rods in position relative to the bottom.

MATHEW J. FAIVRE.

Witnesses:

W. R. LANE, S. F. CHRISTY. 

